jennacastro

Our future generations are unfortunately being targeted by marketers, with companies succeeding in possessing the young minds of children around the country. When it comes to selling products, is there such thing as crossing a line? The answer is absolutely. However, large corporations do not seem to care about the damage they are causing upon youth, parents, and society as a whole. It is completely mind blowing to see the ways children are sucked in by what marketers are selling. The worst part of it all is, children are not only being consumed in these products, but also the values that come along with them.

It is difficult not to nod your head in agreement when the nag factor is dissected in the documentary. Marketers are the overall puppet masters and encourage kids to nag their parents for the products they are selling to them. The industry is teaching kids to be manipulative and do whatever they can to get what they want. The process of getting to the child first in order to get to the parent is a never-ending pattern that many do not even recognize.

Is it the parent’s fault that their kids are being presented with negative forms of media? The industry is mainly to blame with parents being gatekeepers, but it is impossible for parents to be with their children around the clock. The problem goes even further with schools being full of ads, products, and values being thrown at students.

It is beginning not to matter what is right or wrong, but rather how much money the industry or anyone involved is getting out of it. If children are convinced that life is about buying and getting, then they will grow into the super consumers the industry wants them to be.

Kids influence the spending of $700 billion a year, so why not take advantage of their purchasing power right? This scary hole that future generations are being dug into is not only wrong, but it is unhealthy. There is undoubtedly a link between kids being super consumers and the health problems that are rapidly increasing. Buying the minds of children seems to be unfortunately leading to buying some time off of their lives as well.

It is creepy that this goes as far as following children into bathrooms and studying how many times their eyes blink in front of a television. It is almost as if corporations are wiring the minds of children to think and respond the way they want them to. Before you know it, childhoods are going to be even more different in generations to come.

There is a major line being crossed and the industry is taking media research to an entirely new level. This level is one that does not allow kids to be kids anymore. Transforming youth into nagging individuals who always need a screen in front of their faces is sending our future generations down a very dark road.

Children are disturbingly being dissected by marketers. This is to the point where parents cannot protect their own children. How can they when schools are going as far as having fieldtrips to places like Petco and Sports Authority? It is unbelievable that marketers are analyzing youth in their own homes, going as far as following kids into schools. A place that is supposed to be providing knowledge is providing distracting ads and negative values. Furthermore, telling students not what to think, but what to think about. This proves how just about anyone can be bought, even the people who are supposed to be protecting the innocence of kids rather then selling it.

If the idea of ‘what you buy is who you are’ continues to go on then even more problems are going to surface. Materialistic values will take away the reality of what is actually important. Most importantly, this trend to make children consumers even faster is resulting in kids not being allowed to be kids anymore.

These values marketed to children are not okay, causing problems for our society and our future. Highly sexualized, violent, and materialistic children may earn companies money, but the big picture is a very disturbing one.

In all, society is telling the youth their imagination is not good enough. To be happy or popular they must have particular items. They must not only have products, but they must have expensive products that are brand worthy. When you think of a child playing outside do you picture them in a Calvin Klein jacket and some Prada shoes? This would look weird to many people now, but soon enough it is going to be the “ideal look”.

Child play is no longer simple or inexpensive with the innocence of it gradually being taken away. From the moment they are born, children become targets for marketers. While they know the earlier they get into the child’s head, the easier it will be to sell to them as consumers.

Raising awareness that this is an issue in society is the first step to fixing it. Change needs to be made in terms of the way children are being sucked in by companies. The industry as a whole needs to change their approach and think of the damage being caused rather then just the income they are making. This is obviously difficult to do, considering how much money corporations are making, but sending the message that children’s minds should not be for sale is a good start.

There is nothing more explanatory about product placement, than a movie created and funded by it all together. How much thought do you put into the products you see in your favorite movies or television shows? Do you notice all of the brands being used by your favorite celebrities or is it just something that does not catch your attention? It seems whether you think so or not, these small uses of brands are placed there for a reason and

they do affect how audiences think.

What would you do if someone paid you thousands of dollars to simply hold a POM Wonderful drink? As Spurlock did, you would probably do just that. However, Morgan Spurlock made a documentary just off of this concept of product placement and brilliantly brought to surface the constant presence of marketing in movies. He brings upon awareness along with entertainment throughout his documentary on this reality of being constantly consumed in what we see.

Spurlock shows us what goes on behind the closed doors of big advertising companies. It is mind blowing to realize to what costs companies put forth just to put their product out there. Even a few second glimpse of their product on screen is useful to them and an investment their willing to make. In essence, there are commercials in the middle of the television shows you watch without you even noticing. These products are placed there for a reason and that is to get them in your head.

This insightful film shows just how staged scenes are and what companies hope we are noticing. Due to this concept, Spurlock convinced enough sponsors to buy product placement in this documentary throughout the production itself. By bringing us into the boardroom meetings with him, it allowed us to witness the negotiations that take place all the time. It was interesting to see just how concerned corporate executives and public relation representatives were that their product would not be presented in the best possible way or as Spurlock promised them, as “the greatest”.

Sponsors such as Ban deodorant, Sheetz, Mini Cooper, and Pom, among others agreed to take part in what Spurlock was selling them. Furthermore, with his agenda being to show us how often our eyes and minds are actually being sold.

Spurlock was limited to only the companies he was in contract with, only being able to use their products due to the conditions he had to follow. He could only drink POM and POM only, go to only Sheetz for gas, and could only be seen driving a mini cooper. He gradually became a walking advertisement, controlled first hand by companies that only care about what they are selling.

Everywhere you look, it is clear that everyone is always trying to sell you something. This has been true for quite some time, but Spurlock points out the disturbing fact that it is negatively affecting the minds of young children. He points out a production company such as Channel One who provides students with morning news, but mostly throws tons of ads their way. It shows just how serious product placement and advertising is in everyday life, proving that companies truly believe that minds are basically for sale.

It is both interesting and somewhat scary to realize that the only time we are not being pulled in by advertisements is when we are sleeping. Everywhere you go, everywhere you look; something is placed in front of you in hopes that it will lore you in.

Looking through the magazine, Cosmopolitan, there was no shock in the types of articles or advertisements that were present page after page. Considering the majority of the magazine is advertisements for women’s products, I came across a few that especially stood out.

Ad #1. This advertisement was a for Bulova watches with the image of a watch shown and a woman in the distance behind it. “Designed to me noticed” is written at the bottom of the ad, but ironically for the woman, she is barely noticed because a watch is covering her face. However, the woman’s body and the image of her bare leg are certainly visible.

Ad #2. American Laser Skincare – “Beauty through technology” is the first thing that stands out, mainly because it is in bold print. The image on this ad is of an attractive woman and the words “beautiful feeling” is written under her. This ad offers cellulite reduction, body shaping, and Botox along with other procedures. It gives the message to readers that they will not be beautiful or feel good if they do not invest their money in these types of treatments.

Ad #3. This advertisement is for SKYY vodka that puts women’s bodies next to the bottle to sell it. It clearly uses sex appeal to sell an alcoholic beverage with the image being cut off at the top of their bikini with no sight of their actual faces.

Ad #4. This advertisement is for the weight loss supplement, Hydroxycut. “ I feel beautiful because I used Hydroxycut” is written above a before and after image of a woman. This advertisement is using plain folk appeal, but many would say the woman in the before image is barely over weight at all. You can see that the after image of her is just fitting into society’s image of what is beautiful.

Ad #5. This advertisement is for Fendi perfume that has an image behind the product of three women. These women are of course naked with blurs of fog on the ad to cover up parts. They are very close to each other in the ad and posing extremely promiscuous to sell the product through sex appeal.

All of these ads depicted women as servants to society rather then actual individuals. They were either used in these ads as objects to men or to be sucked into diet pills to be society’s version of beautiful. This is even more confusing because women work so hard to get the perfect body, indulging themselves in not enough food and too many supplements. The question though is why? Is the goal here really to be happy with yourself or is it just to please others?

These advertisements with half naked women with their faces cut out may answer that question. Society seems to keep going further in feeding women all of these ways to be perfect, while dehumanizing them along the way. Nowhere in the magazine contained an image of a strong, independent woman that was not half naked or that was actually trying to attain something other than beauty.

A female’s body next to SKYY vodka or a body of a ballerina in the background of a watch advertisement is in every way demeaning. Women can never be skinny or beautiful enough. On one page an article goes on to state that women should be confident, the next is an advertisement for American Laser Skincare proposing “beauty through technology.”

This is not only a contradiction, but also a major problem in our culture. It seems people are being sucked into the concept that confidence walks hand and hand with plastic surgery. Even worse, that making a man or society happy is more important than actually making yourself happy.

There is a huge difference between informative ads and just simply insulting ads. While some are meant to be innocently getting a message across, others are bluntly offensive. If a message is meant to directly insult or personally attack a particular group of people then it is ultimately unethical.

A commercial that comes to mind is a recent one for Dr. Pepper. Dr. Pepper recently launched an ad campaign stating its new diet soft drink was not for women. This approach was a claimed attempt to attract more male consumers, but it seemed to have only turned heads along with turning female customers away.

Dear Mr. Trebilcock,

As vice president of marketing for Dr. Pepper, you have authority over how your company advertises its products. Furthermore, I am writing to you on behalf of myself along with numerous viewers that had to experience your commercial for the new diet Dr. Pepper drink. The commercial probably was not intended to be enjoyable to women, since the drink itself is apparently not for women. It was not a clever approach to exclude an entire gender from your product along with making the image of men to be macho and arrogant.

Women have come a long way to rid the many stereotypes that society has placed on them. With that being said, making a commercial in attempt to make it funny or humorous is not okay.

When viewers are shown something such as women’s rights being laughed at and presented as a joke, it sets a bad example. Everything represented in your commercial is negative and there is nothing engaging about implying an entire gender is unworthy of your product.

Whether your campaign was to draw attention to your product or receive strong feedback, it did just that. However, contrary to popular belief that “any publicity, is good publicity”, I beg to differ. I feel your attempt to make fun and

stereotype genders crossed a line and represented your company in a sexist way. These depictions of males and females still do exist and an unnecessary ad like yours makes it worse. You may have made your product stand out, but was it really worth it?

Furthermore, the male population most likely are not fans of this ad campaign either. Making a statement that men are not comfortable drinking low calorie drinks, in essence makes it worse. Do men really have to yell and act macho in an ATV ride to be considered real men? Looking at this ads message, it seems the commercial implies men should only act in this manner.

Undoubtedly, your campaign can certainly make one feel even worse about drinking low calorie drinks. It gives off an underlying message that diet anything is not normal for men to drink. Did your company ever consider that maybe people are actually comfortable with their sexuality? It is awful that your ad for a soda drink implies that appearing girly is actually something men need to worry about.

Today, audiences should be able to watch television and feel they are all being approached equally by what is on the screen in front of them. Regardless of gender, age, or race; nobody should ever feel cancelled out or thrown into a pool of stereotypes.

You all knew Lindsay Lohan as the adorable little girl in the Parent Trap and now everyone knows her as the troubled young celebrity who has involved herself with bad behavior and many run ins with the law. She has been all over the news for her constant drinking and usage of drugs, along with her DUI charges in 2007. Lohan has been in rehab as of last year and continues to be the center of attention for paparazzi.

While she has been claiming she has changed her ways, a recent incident at a club has given Lohan negative publicity yet again. A woman is accusing Lindsay Lohan of assaulting her this month at the Standard Hotel in West Hollywood. A week after the incident Lohan was reportedly witnessed at the scene again. This time there were complaints that she cursed a woman out and threw a drink at her. While Lohan claims none of this happened, witnesses have apparently come forward.

All of the Lohan fans out there would love to believe the new and improved Lindsay is innocent of these accusations, but due to her track record it seems likely she has gotten herself into another mess. In the public eye, Lindsay Lohan is far from redeeming herself.

A strategy to turn Lohan’s image around and recover herself from these recent events would be to launch a foundation to help young people fight addiction. This ad campaign would have Lindsay Lohan using her past mistakes to help other troubled individuals. Prior to this launch, a press conference should be held apologizing for her actions and taking responsibility for the recent incidents.

A sincere speech on what Lohan has learned and how she is turning her life around would provide sympathy for what she has been going through. Showing herself as vulnerable and empathetic would allow her image of reckless to fade away. This campaign can potentially backfire if Lohan continues to show bad behavior in the public eye. With headlines continuing to show Lohan partying, nobody will believe she has changed let alone leading a foundation as a responsible young woman.

Everyone makes mistakes and admitting hers would show she has taken responsibility for them.Publicly speaking about her issues and explaining she is only human like the rest of us would allow many people to relate to her. Millions of people have made mistakes and poor life choices similar to Lindsay Lohans. The only difference is hers are just blown up constantly by the media and her every move is under a microscope. Taking these steps to explain her side to the public would convince the world that the new and improved Lindsay Lohan is finally here.

Killing Us Softly is an amazing documentary by Jean Kilbourne that shows us the unfortunate reality of women in today’s society. After watching, I can say that I have been looking at many advertisements in a completely different way. It opened my eyes to what women are actually representing and just how bad it has gotten. Constantly being judged and measured up to fake standards, women are literally disappearing. Kilbourne made a sad yet true statement that women around the world are aiming for the size zero, but at the same time their goal is leading to physically disappearing all together.

This mindset to have the perfect body is getting worse because this obsession is starting at younger ages then ever before. The most disturbing of it all is the sexualization of little girls. Young girls are seeing all of these images around them and receiving the message that sex is the only thing that matters. They are realizing early on that they will be judged and this is not how anyone, especially children should be feeling. Even reality shows like Toddlers in Tiaras unfortunately provides entertainment for some people. You know there is a problem when there is a show based upon making little girls pretty and having their mothers attempt to doll them up regardless of how drastic the measures being taken are.

Women in society fought so hard in the past to receive rights as individuals and now it seems okay that women be referred to as objects? These simple ads that represent women in our culture are not only affecting how we feel, but also the standards that are set for us. Women wonder why some men can be so shallow, but all of that criticism is shaped from society. Everything around us is saying we are not skinny or beautiful enough. In terms of these standards that we are measured up against, we will never be good enough. Advertisements and society forgets to tell all the women out there that there is no such thing as perfection. This goal that women set for themselves to measure up to what they see, does not exist.

What was most shocking was the proof that everything we see is faker then I had imagined. All of these women on magazines or on television are the people everyone aims to look like, even when they do not even look like that themselves. It is a shame that women judge themselves everyday in the mirror all because of Photoshop and touchups on a computer. Furthermore, some ads even combine a few women into the image of one so she has all of the perfect features, although “she” is not a real person.

“The more you subtract, the more you add?” What kind of message are women getting? Clearly the type of message that is setting our gender back and making horrible double standards hard to get rid of. They are only getting worse, and the worst part is that it is consuming our culture. These concepts that are being sold to us, tell us who we are and what we should be. Women have more rights today, but how far have we really come?

Sex will sell for a long time and these advertisements will likely remain appealing to our culture, but awareness needs to circulate that these social norms are not okay. Women should not continue to live under this microscope analyzing every flaw on themselves, nor should women be dehumanized and seen as objects. If society will not change, individuals have to realize they should not change for it. Women need to look at what is really in front of them and more importantly what is within them. They need to look beyond the false ads and nonexistent perfections; and look at their importance as individuals. Society can tell you what “perfection” is, but ultimately you shape your own.

Growing up, most little girls want to be a princess. They dream about the day they will meet their prince charming and all of their dreams that are going to come true. Boys are usually thinking about their battles with villains and their adventures as cowboys. Whether it is a child or adult, everyone has an imagination. What we see and consume, though, shapes our imagination. Disney in itself is the “land where all dreams come true”, right?

Growing up, surrounded by the Disney culture, it is difficult not to be sucked in by all the loveable characters, happy endings, and their land of make believe. Critics take Disney and pick it apart as this evil corporation with hidden messages in their films. The happy stories we all grew up indulged in are now being depicted as inappropriate and setting bad values.

Every child needs fantasies in their life, just some of Disney’s were not as pure as many thought. Over the years, Disney has made changes in their production and have been creating films with more variety. Race is not shown in a negative light as it was in movies like Tarzan. Disney is now creating films with princesses who are not just white, but of different cultures. This is definitely a step in the right direction because every child should be able to connect with the films, not just one distinct group of children.

Females in the majority of movies were also depicted as “perfect”. Disney along with society puts pressures on girls to be their version of beautiful, being skinny and having big glimmering eyes. These portrayals of women set bad examples of what beauty actually is, giving girls the impression they have to look like this. However, this is a shallow representation made by Disney along with the rest of society. Everywhere you look, you see society’s distorted image of what they deem as beautiful.

Disney has made controversial films and displayed some faulty values, but that should not take away the attributions it as a corporation has given to American culture. Most of people’s memories as a child in some way include Disney, with the majority of those memories being good. Disney had so much impact on many childhoods and few would actually say it was not positive or a happy experience. It would seem unfamiliar if that did not continue to go on in the future.

In essence our favorite classics were not the perfect fairytales that Disney tried to make them seem, but that would not change my decision to watch them now. Our generation did not realize then what they were representing, just as kids do not now.

Just as Disney is guilty in terms of negative representation of values, society is just as bad. People see the many flaws in this huge corporation, but there is undoubtedly enough blame to go around.

“There are always two sides of every coin”, Raymond Tay states and he is absolutely right. Social media impacts society drastically, whether that is negative or positive depends on how we use it. The influence of social media has touched every aspect of America. It has changed society politically, economically, and socially.

Ideas are being exchanged so quickly through social networking sites that change is inevitable. Tay brings up the “new C’s: creativity, communication, connection, creation, community, collaboration, and competition.” These words are shaping our culture and they mean differently then they did years ago. These C’s are basically intertwined into one, the world of social networking. Tay reminds us that there are now new ideas, new products, and new interests.

The game has now changed and it is more elaborate than ever. What we do, what we see, and how we make decisions are now revolving around social networking. This new game is you as the consumer, unknowingly being controlled by social media.

However, social media certainly has its advantages. It not only influences us what to buy,but it helps us decide who to vote for. The Obama election in 2008 is a great example of social media’s impact in society.Obama’s campaign brilliantly used social networking to reach out to the public, making people feel their ideas were important. He not only received large amounts of funding because of this, but citizens’ felt “connected” with him and gave him their votes.

From deciding what to buy due to consumer reports or getting involved in the aftermath of natural disasters, social networking sites play a key role. It is undoubtedly changing the communication style of this generation. You can communicate with just about anyone at anytime with just a click of a button. This not only impacts you, but every part of society.

Job markets such as journalism, advertising and public relations are changing right along with the social networking trends. Journalism is becoming less focused on print, but more so on web based systems. Furthermore, kindles and ipads are being purchased as storytellers by some customers rather then actual books. Advertisers can reach more consumers more often with sites such as Facebook. Everyone’s interests and tastes are basically

handed over on a silver platter for all to see with websites made just for that. This gives advertisers what they need to know and easy ways to attract buyers.

On the negative side, social networking has its ways of ruining relationships and invading privacy. Aside from the obvious problems surfacing with lack of face-to-face communication and too much exposure, there are even larger issues at hand.

“The term, Social Networking, has begun to deceive the users to believe they are social creatures.” This probably is not shocking to many people, which in itself says enough. Is this the road we want to be going down in communicating with each other? An example that immediately pops to mind is the game Second Life. Innocent game play on your Internet or gaming system is normal, but when you are spending more time with virtual characters rather then actual people, there is a problem.

Just as Raymond Tay says, social networking is like a knife. It can be used for good or bad, but that entirely depends on you.

France, Italy, America – they are all basically the same place. Not really, but distance does not mean the same as it did years ago. This is because it is 2035 and we have gone the distance. The year has come where the world is one and yes, cars can indeed fly.

Countries all over the world are up to date on technology, placing everyone on the same page. We now live in a world where everyone is working together and world peace has finally been reached. With everyone hand in hand and world peace existing, nearly everyone is happily employed. The universe is now at your fingertips, literally.

The Smart Armbands have become one of the many inventions in 2035. It is a mix of a laptop, smartphone, and television all on the tip of your sleeve. It provides you with anything or anyone at any time. Medical advances also tie into this gadget. This “robotic” sleeve simply alerts you when it senses anything abnormal with your body.

With these upgrades you can do just about anything. You can be out there saving the world, while still making time for a quick family dinner due to flying cars.

Let us not forget about exercise. All watches now calculate the daily intake of every person, informing you what exercises you should do that day and for how long. Flying shuttles are all over the world with fantastic destinations full of adventure. These destinations are usually outdoors and allow citizens of this utopia to participate in activities, getting more involved with nature.

News is more precise and quickly attained with journalists being able to be anywhere at any time. As being a part of this utopian, life is perfect. As an advertiser, every consumer can be reached through all of these devises. Problems within communication are basically non- existent. At this point, every problem does in fact have a solution.

It is 2035 and nothing can be better.

Just kidding…

Dear poor generation of 3000,

The year is now 2035 and I would like to take this time to apologize in advance. Before I continue, I would like to put it out there that carbs do exist and no teleporting yourself to the fridge is not considered exercise. There was a time when our advancements in technology were a blessing, but by the time you read this I am sure you will have realized that this is no longer the case.

Social media has given this world up-rise, but in the year 3000 it will be responsible for its downfall. All of society has become just too consumed in technology that it has put everyone in a trance. Nobody is aware of any world other then the one inside their screens. Lazy and oblivious describes most of society, while the rest are making money off of them.

The minds behind all of these advancements are making millions, while everyone else is hitting rock bottom.Citizens everywhere are even losing all of their money in virtual games like Second Life. America has become a society of obese and anti- social individuals who do not know the true meaning of a relationship anymore. Going outdoors for any reason other then to get into your transportation vehicle is extremely rare.

Reality is fading, while humanity is diminishing. People seem to have stopped acting like human beings and more so like robots. The way it is looking it honestly would not be shocking if robots did become the population. Technology has surfaced in the past, but now it has completely taken over.

While beginning to watch Mickey Mouse Monopoly numerous childhood memories immediately came to mind. All of the characters, songs, and admiration for all of my favorite Disney characters filled my head. I felt that giddy feeling all over again that I felt when I was a little girl. However, that feeling slowly went away as I watched more of this documentary. As many people know, Disney is not as innocent as it is portrayed. I have known this for quite some time, but not to the extent that I saw before my eyes. There seems to be a lot more corruption in Disney than I ever envisioned, but then again maybe I just did not want to realize it for myself. Underneath the so-called “innocence”, Disney is not so magical. It is portrayed as this land where dreams come true, but what are they actually teaching children? As many others, I grew up in this fantasy world that Disney has created. Their movies and products that are so easy to love in fact depict not so lovable representations. In my opinion, I feel Disney has helped make many childhoods happy and unforgettable, but it is more about the underlining message. This documentary opened my eyes to what has been in front of me for years, but their engaging entertainment blocked me from noticing it. Their representations of gender roles, races, and violence were mind blowing to watch after never catching on in earlier years. Is this what Disney is teaching the young minds worldwide? Undoubtedly media influences the way we think, but is this really the way anyone should be thinking? All girls should grow up with the perfect body and get what they want by seducing men is not an appropriate message to be sending. Where are the movies with a working, smart woman who is not controlled by her husband’s dominance in the relationship… or women who stand up for themselves instead of always having to be rescued? People may argue that these films would not sell, but if that is the case then there is a bigger problem in our society. The “social norms” that are presented have shaped many people’s mind in a negative way. The worst part is the “social norms” depicted by Disney and any other corporation will only change if they do. Unfortunately they are in control and we all are just the consumers who are easily drawn in with what they are giving us.